The Demon's Bride

Chapter 468: Driven White Gown-I

"There is nothing to worry for your lack of noticing these angels, my future niece. You see, these Angels are just quite the smartass when it comes to concealing their presence. Years of their hard works to remain unnoticed and as invisible as possible is what makes them this clever to hide and mixes amongst people," Lucifer said, his smile was mischievous. If not for the fact that Elise knew this man was the older brother of Ian's mother, she would have seen him more as Ian's brother for he looked that young. Lucifer's appearance took the form of a man in his late twenties, just two years off from the number thirty.

Ian waved his hand. Lucifer always dragged thing unnecessarily long and while he was able to tolerate him now, it didn't mean he like to entertain the man, "What have you elicit from them?"

"Nothing. Not yet," Lucifer walked a way from the spot he was standing, making round to stand next to one of the angel whose hair was black in color, "Once they saw my face, they rudely shrieked and raised their fists. I do hope they learn their manners fm the begging again but Michael must be the one who taught them this kind of manner."

"The archangel Michael," Elise said. She had only heard of the names from books and it felt surreal how they are all living amongst her. She felt like she had been reading a book and one day the characters of the book materialize in front of her. It still felt intangible either to her when she thought of her grandfather being an Angel, her unknown grandfather.

"Yes. He is your... uncle," Lucifer put the word by placing an emphasis, "Not blood related of course because we are made form the same mold we like to call each other brother though now if I call them with such nickname they would send me daggers."

"Not many can handle you," remarked Ian.

"Like you?" Lucifer turned the question, answered by Ian's roll of eyes. "I don't like Michael but because he would contribute in our family, I should for once give him a spare from fight for the peace of this family."

The Demon's eyes then stared at Elise as if expecting for her reply. She was not sure on what to reply but being a polite girl she said, "Thank you."

"Your welcome! Not every day do I receive a thank you so it does feel quite pleasing," noticing Ian's gaze on him, he sighed. "Well now," Lucifer's eyes snapped to look behind him. He raised his leg and gave a good kick on the Angel's stomach, causing the person to regain his consciousness in a violent manner. "Wake up."

The angel lifted his head from the ground. One of his eyes was covered with a large bruise that discolored half of his left face. Lucifer's figure was the last thing the angel could see as only his shoes came in his view with the rest of his body standing behind his head. Therefore, the angel was confused when his eyes saw the handsome man who stood beside a beautiful lady with the notabily bright striking red hair.

He couldn't grasp what happened around him until his back was kick again. The shrill voice of Lucifer brushed him like death, "Have you woken up, little dove?"

The angel could never take whose voice as wrong upon hearing the voice. He yelled from the deepest part of his throat, "LUCIFER!"

"Certainly my name but how dare you yelled in front of me?" Lucifer raised his feet and pressed it with force on the root of the Angel's wings. Elise didn't have wings but she had heard it from Ian how painful it was to have their wings wounded as it was similar to a limb for both demons and angels. Listening to the painful cry of the angel caused her to feel an ache from a place she never knew existed.

Lucifer's smile widened to a frightening degree, his eyes turning crescent in the shout of scream which just prove how much he immersed himself in enjoying pain inflicted on others. Elise gulped in the torture she saw and doubted this was the worse Lucifer could have.

Ian watched the man with a calm expression, seeing the other man scream in pain for his wings, a little frown came on his forehead but he wasn't one to cry over spilt milk. Ian's as ready to set aside is differences for Elise even if it means he need to tolerate his uncle whom he doesn't take for one.

"Don't make me lose face in front of my nephew and future niece in law, would you? Now tell me why were you following her?" Lucifer questioned and the angel struggled to look up.

"I-I don't know her..." said the angel which the two high Demons in the house was quick to assume as lie.

"You should have spout better lie you know," Lucifer this time raised his finger and seeing the gesture, the angel was quick to struggle.

"I am telling the truth! What I said wasn't a lie! All we wanted to do was to follow Beelzebub!" The angel yelled in hurry for he can't afford to lose his wings. An angel without wings were no different than fallen angel.

Both Ian and Elise raised their brows on what the angels had to say but the angel wasn't lying. Lucifer was the one to demand for answer, "Why? Was there someone who ordered you to do so," and as he asked this question, Elise noticed how the man's eyes narrowed with a certain deep and cold gleam that seemed as though it came from the deepest part of a sea in Hell if the hell had such place.

"We were on our mission to search for someone... and it is an order," the angel answered softly. He also noticed how the cruel gleam came from Lucifer's words when he had asked whether or not someone had ordered them and was careful to answer it with truth. "When we came by, we saw Beelzebub. A High Demon shouldn't reside in human world for long and we attempt to bring him back to where he belong before he does anything opposite of God's teaching."

"I am sure God didn't teach you to tail others either," Lucifer remarked. His mouth opened when someone else had stolen his question.

"Who was it that gave you the order? Which Archangel?" In things such as giving order it was easy to guess the person must be someone of a high status to be able to do so and it is even easier to round their suspect at once when Heaven only follow such strict rules that had been made and the reserved hierarchy system to know the one that gave the order was an Archangel.

Elise didn't know why but the curiosity raised so high upon the thought of them getting an answer that she held her breaths.

The angel said, "Archangel Michael. He asked us to find Angel Gabriel."

The name had Lucifer to narrow his eyes while Ian in response chuckled faintly. The same curiosity Elise had settled on his eyes but it was much darker. He asked, "He is not a child to be searched for. It's not as if he is lost, did he suddenly went missing?"

The angel pursed his lips. He didn't want to reveal too much about Heaven as he didn't know when his information would be used as a weapon against Heaven. Lucifer raised his finger and with a light twirl, bright red fire manifest from the tip of his index finger. The angel stuttered, "S-Sir Gabb- Gabriel was last seen in the Church of Wimnosa when we lost him there! There had been no contact from him and the time he promised to stay in the mortal world delayed for weeks so we were asked to find him. It was then when we stumbled upon Beelzebub."

Elise was taken aback. She had not seen Gabriel and only had heard of him. Her first interaction to the Angel when he had came to the loop forest and the second time his name was brought up was when Esther had came and expressed that she worked for the angel. Her first question was, "Is it possible that Gabriel is attacked?"

Elise stared at Ian but he wasn't the one to answer.

"Possible," Lucifer answered. The smile on his lips had vanished to give him the frightening blank expression. "But if he died I would have feel it. We Archangel including me who once became such an existence shared a bond where we would be notified if one of us were to die but so far all the thirteen of them is alive. Another funny thing."

Elise met Lucifer's eyes as his gaze fell on her, something which caused Ian to frown because the High Demon had looked at her with a sly and crafty smile.

"I had just found not this long that the Angel who had called Seraphim to the place he was killed was Gabriel."

The room was silent, the angels were unconscious therefore only one received the news with wide eyes. Elise took the revelation with her eyes wide as well. If she had to round everything again, the reason for Lucifer to unable safe Lady Lucy and become her savior in the time needed was because he was heavily punished for killing another Archangel, Seraphim. However, Lucifer didn't have a hand in the killing and had rather been used as a scapegoat.

Lucifer stated his wish to find the person who had orchestrated the plan but Elise never guessed it would be Gabriel as the Angel was known for all the goodwill. She learned that no matter how white a certain white canvas was, there would still small black dots which one won't notice until they scrutinize the surface for hard and long time. Not even Heaven escape the corruption of darkness. Elise doubted she could begin to trust the Angels given their circumstances.

"How sure are you about that?" Ian broke the silence with his single question. "This 'rat' had been hiding well underneath your nose and trapped you well to the point where all your cards were taken away from you. But a few days of exiting Hell is all it takes for you to find him? Realistically speaking I thought you'll have some trouble in your way before finding who it was."

And it made sense, thought Elise. The angel had been so silent and invisible in his movements that it was surprising to find them this quickly.

"Which why I was thinking of paying Gabriel a visit today but Heaven speak otherwise by having Gabriel to turn missing. Malphas bring this all away," Lucifer waved his hand over the angels as if he was telling his servant to throw out useless broken furniture.

Malphas who had been quiet blinked and paused before moving to do his action, once again struggling to keep his balance while dragging the Angels away.

"Back to the letters. I say this is surprising," Lucifer walked forward to Elise and Ian was quick to spread his arms before her. "Don't doubt me like that. Even I feel hurt if see me with that apprehensive look. I won't kill her," but Ian didn't move his hand. The last thing he would do was trusting a Devil. Currently there was only one reason for Ian to believe Lucifer won't attack him, because he was his nephew but if not for this, he knew Lucifer could use every chances to kill them.

Ian had seen families in Hell. Considering Lucifer's twisted nature, their relationship hang in a very thin thread that can be severed any time.

Elise raised her hand to placed it over Ian's arm. It was saddening to see Ian's and Lucifer's dynamic. Elise had been betrayed numerously by people. While she knew Lucifer was still not to be trusted. Her eyes could see that Lucifer was the only person who looked at Ian with a doting gaze despite his words and action.

"What is surprising?" Elise questioned, letting Lucifer took the letters from her hand when he wanted to.

"You don't know?" Lucifer raised a surprised brows, "Raziel. This man is your grandfather. Seems like without my notice my dear sister is a pen pal of your grandfather. action

It took a moment for the cold wind to brush her neck until Elise let out a gasp, "Grandfather?" She repeated the word with many questions imbued in the single word